Shakespeare’s Hamlet can be seen as an exploration of the human psyche and the human condition in the consequences our actions have when acted on out of impulse and emotion rather than careful deliberation. Hamlet the character makes most of his decisions on the spot but has trouble deciding one way or another after thorough consideration. Many of the decisions he does make have implications that result in dire consequences for him and other characters in the play.
The character Hamlet’s actions are driven by his emotion, but usually thinks rationally, before making decisions on how to act. Throughout the play, we see Hamlet faced with unimaginable stress and decisions to make but is able to think pragmatically and follow his conscience. He debates how he can do the right thing, yet avenge the terrors inflicted on his father. However, it is when Hamlet acts spontaneously that his decisions and actions seem reckless and negligent.
Many critics through the years have debated about Hamlet’s emotions none more so than T. S. Eliot. In his essay, Hamlet and His Problems he argued that Shakespeare was unable to express the feelings Hamlet felt because Shakespeare himself did not understand them. Eliot believes Shakespeare did not use ‘objective correlative’ which is a series of events or objects that rouse a specific emotion of a character. According to Eliot, the play is interpreted emotionally in different ways because Shakespeare did not know how to properly express the emotion of Hamlet. This however, neglects the fact that Hamlet acts mainly out of emotion and passion. (read full text…)
